Community Health Studies Master's Degree Requirements

Program | Faculty | Master's | Doctoral | Courses

Master of Public Health Degree Program

This degree program offers experienced health workers an opportunity to complete a course of study that leads to a professional degree. Working health professionals expand their knowledge base in public health, extend and sharpen their professional skills, broaden their perspective on public health problems, and prepare to assume greater professional responsibility.

The basic requirement of the M.P.H. degree is the completion of a minimum of 39-42 credits of academic work depending upon area of concentration, and practice experience*. Candidates may enroll either full time, in which case they should be able to complete degree requirements in three semesters and an intervening summer, or part time, in which case they are expected to complete degree requirements within three years of matriculation.

*Note: All M.P.H. students are required to complete a practice experience as part of their degree requirements, and may receive credit for it depending on their major department's policy. Practice experiences may be paid or unpaid. Placements are arranged in consultation with the student's faculty adviser or the Office of Public Health Practice and Outreach in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. The adviser reviews the student's interests, preferences, financial standing, experience, and skills, and is usually able to arrange for interviews with a suitable organization either directly or through another faculty member.

Master of Science Degree Program

The M.S. degree program is designed for candidates whose career goals include research and teaching. Graduates of the program will obtain skills in important areas of public health practice and competence in basic research methodology, and should understand the interaction of technical, social, economic, and political determinants of health problems and the way these factors influence processes of social change. The degree program provides a sound methodological preparation for working in a research setting or for pursuing an advanced academic degree.

The basic requirement for the M.S. degree is the completion of a minimum of 48 credits of course work including the thesis. The normal time for satisfying requirements for the M.S. degree in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences is two academic years and the intervening summer (21 months).

Each student is expected to carry out an individual investigation or research project as one of the requirements for the Master of Science degree. This is done as a thesis, which is conducted under the guidance of two or more members of the graduate faculty. As part of the requirement, each thesis is defended orally before at least three members of the graduate faculty.

Admission Requirements for M.S. and M.P.H. Degree Programs

1. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

2. A bachelor's degree or equivalent from any college or university of recognized standing.

3. Two letters of recommendation from persons in the field of the applicant's academic major at the institution most recently attended. Applicants whose academic records go back more than five years may substitute other re-ferences, subject to departmental acceptance.

4. Two official transcripts of all previous university or college work (undergraduate and graduate).

5. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), taken within five years of application. All applicants should have a transcript of their scores sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. No application will be complete until scores have been received. NOTE: Foreign students must also submit their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores.

6. Acceptance by the School of Public Health and Health Sciences and the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Graduate Council.

7. An earned advanced degree in a health-related area (medicine, nursing, social work, dentistry, etc.) or postbaccalaureate experience directly relevant to the academic program.

Application Deadlines: For Fall admission, completed applications should be submitted no later than February 1. Applications for Spring admission should be submitted no later than October 1.